EQB electric SUV, Mercedes' fourth EV for India, to break cover: What to expect

Mercedes-Benz will officially pull the covers off the EQB, its fourth electric car in India, this week. The German auto giant will showcase the EQB electric SUV from Tuesday ahead of its launch on December 2. The EV will be unveiled along with GLB in a first for the brand, launching a luxury EV alongside its internal combustion engine (ICE) counterpart. The EQB electric SUV, as well as the GLB, are already open for bookings in India for a token amount of ₹1.5 lakh.

Mercedes EQB will be the first seven-seater electric car in the luxury EV segment in India. It will join the ranks of EQC and EQS in the German carmaker's EV lineup for India. It is also expected to be the most affordable electric car from Mercedes in India, thanks to local assembly at its plant in Chakan, near Pune.

Mercedes already offers the EQB in global markets. It comes with two broad variants - the EQB 300 and EQB 350. The EQB 300 draws power from a dual-motor 228 hp powertrain while the higher variant gets a 292 hp dual-motor setup. The EQB is offered with the four-wheel-drive system from the Germans. It claims to sprint from zero to100 kmph in around six seconds.

Mercedes claims that the EQB can return a range of more than 400 kms on a single charge according to WLTP. It comes equipped with a 66kWh lithium-ion battery pack placed under the rear seats. This battery pack can be charged through AC system up to 11 kW and at up to 100kW on a DC fast charging setup. Mercedes claims it can recharge up to 80 per cent in just 32 minutes using the fast charging option.

The price of the EQB is likely to be less than the EQC, which costs ₹99.50 lakh (ex-showroom). When launched, the EQB will take on the likes of the upcoming Audi Q8 e-tron among other rivals.